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Gladstone thinclads excel at Marist

The Gladiators are second only to Marshfield in a 12-team meet

EUGENE  Gladstone High School coeds earned second place in competition with some of the top Class 6A, 5A and 4A track and field programs in the state at the 12-team Marist Track Classic, held here Saturday.

The Gladiators scored 82 points and finished back of Class 5A power Marshfield (102 points), but ahead of Class 6A power Gresham (77) and Class 4A power Newport (76). Rounding out the girls field were Cottage Grove (73-1/2), North Salem (60), Marist (47-1/2), West Salem (40-1/2), Wilsonville (40), Lebanon (15), Creswell (6) and Woodburn (3).

Were looking pretty good, said Gladstone coach Joan Kintz. We were still missing our pole vaulter [defending state champion McKenna Streed] and Alisa Bradshaw [the state leader in the high jump] no heighted in the high jump; and we still held our own against some pretty good teams. It was mainly 6A and 5A schools [in the meet]. We were only one of three 4A schools there.

Gladstone girls had athletes place in 12 of the 15 individual events and in both relays.

Gladstone had two individual champions, and Gladstone freshman Tieara Norman continued to make waves, placing second in three events.

Gladstone senior throws specialist Donna Robinson headed the field in the discus (121-0) and she earned third place in the shot put (38-11), where she finished back of defending Class 6A state champion Haley Crouser of Gresham (41-9-3/4) and defending Class 4A state champion Cherilyn Bunker of Newport (41-9-1/2).

The rain made the ring really slick, so Donna did a standing throw in the discus and she still won the event easily, Kintz said. Haley Crouser, who leads the state in 6A, placed second, and she only threw 112.

Gladstone senior Madison Cronin (33-7) and Gladstone junior Kendall Schumaker (32-11) went one-two in the triple jump, where they finished well in front of the rest of the field. Cronin was also tough in the long jump, where she placed third, with an effort 17-3-1/2.

Norman earned second place in the long jump (17-3-3/4), second place in the low hurdles (49.00), and she tied North Salem junior Riley Knebes for runner-up honors with an effort of 15.60 in the high hurdles.

Normans marks rank her No. 1 in the state in 4A in the low hurdles and No. 2 in 4A in the high hurdles; Norman and Cronin rank second and third in the state in the long jump, behind Molalla senior Claire Thomas, who has a best this season of 17-7-1/2.

Tieara was awesome! Kintz said. She had over a second PR in the highs and she was right behind Greshams Crouser, who is the defending state champion in 6A. And she had a three-second PR [in the low hurdles].

The Gladiators had another runner-up in the 400, where junior Kelsey Hathaway cruised to a seasons best time of 1:00.30.

Gladstone girls placed third in the 4x100-meter relay (51.20) and fourth in the 4x400-meter relay (4:20.80).

Other placers for Gladstone girls included: juniors Ellery Pearson (7-6) and Elena Otteson (7-6), fifth and sixth respectively in the pole vault; Simac, sixth in the 200 (27.40); senior Madison Wease, sixth in the 1,500 (5:39) and eighth in the 3,000 (12:15.60); and seniors Taylor Plunkett, seventh in the 200 (27.60), and Courtney Pardee, seventh in the javelin (104-6).

Competing with a host of sophomores and with very few seniors, Gladstone boys competed hard, but had only a handful of placers at Marist. West Salem and Wilsonville were the top two teams in the boys meet.

We were really young in the throws, observed Gladstone coach Greg Hess. We had only freshmen and sophomores in the javelin, shot put and discus.

Gladstone boys held their own in the relays. The team of Eric Prom, Armand Jayne, Tyler Bitter and Dakota Hollingsworth placed fourth in the boys 4x100 relay with a season-best time of 45.30. And the team of Browning, Hollingsworth, Jayne and Bitter placed eighth in the 4x400-meter relay (3:47.90).

Competing in the event for the first time this year, Browning also placed seventh in the 800 meters (2:05).

Gladstone senior Jordan Hernandez (17.30) tied for sixth place in the high hurdles (17.30), and Gladstone sophomore Kyle Kintz cleared 9-6 to place seventh in the boys pole vault.

The Gladiators vie in a relay meet at Barlow this Saturday. They begin Tri-Valley Conference competition next Thursday (April 18), when they travel to Estacada for a tri-dual meet with the Rangers and La Salle.